Adapter for switch operator



May 21, 1963 R. M. M DONALD 3,090,853

AD APTER FOR SWITCH OPERATOR Filed Dec. 2, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l 28 FIG! IO m 5 Ivor/r475.

y 21, 1953 R. M. MCDONALD 3,090,853

ADAPTER FOR SWITCH OPERATOR Filed Dec. 2, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 2 W4 MM 7174:,-

y 21, 1963 R. M. MCDONALD 3,090,853

ADAPTER FOR SWITCH OPERATOR Filed Dec. 2, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 nite Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 2, race, Ser. No. 73,283 3 Claims. (El. 2tP-1l4) This invention relates to adapters for switch operators and more particularly to an adapter for use on auxiliary circuit interrupters of difierent types, but one of which is shown in a patent to Lindell 2,816,980 of December 17, 1957. This adapter when applied to a circuit interrupter eliminates the necessity for fixed hooks, or horns, or studs, on disconnecting fuses and switches which provide the fixed anchor for connection to one part of the auxiliary circuit interrupter and where heretofore necessary for its intended manner of operation.

An auxiliary circuit interrupter is a handling tool mounted on a live line stick. Within the tool are separable contacts opera-ted by relatively fixed and relatively movable parts within the tool. The relatively movable part usually carries a loop and the relatively fixed part usually carries a dirigible hook. The disconnecting fuse or switch is specifically modified to adapt it for operation by the auxiliary circuit interrupter by providing thereon fixed hooks, horns or studs mounted on a stationary part of the disconnecting fuse or switch adjacent the separable contacts thereof. These hooks, horns or studs, as the case may be, are for engagement with the loop on the tool. The dirigible hook on the tool is then placed in the usual eye operating the latch of the disconnecting fuse or switch. After the tool is so engaged with the disconnecting fuse or switch, a pull on the live line stick exerted in a direction to open the switch will separate the switch contacts while at the same time maintaining an electric circuit through the tool, the hook and the loop to shunt the switch. Thus, the switch can be opened under load without drawing an external are between the switch parts. Continued pull on a live line stick separates the fixed and movable contacts of the switch a sufficient distance to prevent the reformation of an arc between the contacts. At this point, the mechanism within the tool is triggered separating the contacts within the tool and quenching the subsequent are within the body of the tool.

From this brief explanation of the operation of an auxiliary circuit interrupter tool, it is obvious that unless the switch is provided with a suitable anchor in the form of a fixed hook, horn or stud, it is not adapted for operation by a tool of this kind. Disconnecting fuses or switches now in use do not provide a fixed anchor of this type which adapts them to operation by auxiliary circuit interrupter tools as now constructed.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an adapter for disconnecting switches and fuses now in use which will permit their operation by auxiliary circuit interrupter tools.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an adapter which may be attached to an auxiliary circuit interrupter tool so as to permit its use in the operation of disconnecting fuses and switches which are not provided with a suitable anchor for connection with the tool.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an auxiliary circuit interrupter tool adapted for use with disconnecting fuses and switches which are not provided with the usual fixed anchor for that purpose.

The following is a full, clear and exact description of the invention which will permit anyone skilled in the art to make and use the same when taken in conjunction States atenr 3,090,853 Patented May 21, 1963 ice with the illustrations in the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an auxiliary circuit interrupter tool with an adapter assembled thereon showing the manner of hooking up the tool with a disconnect;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the adapter shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the adapter shown in FIG. 1 also on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the adapter shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 also on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are side and front views, respectively, illustrating the manner of operation of the adapter shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Turning now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a tool, generally indicated as 110, which tool is one type of auxiliary circuit interrupter. The tool 10 is mounted on a live line stick 1 which insulates the lineman from the tool. A fitting 2 on the end of the live line stick 1 carries a swivel connection 3 for a movable strut 4. On the end of the strut 4 is a hook 6 for engagement with the eye on the disconnecting switch or fuse. A keeper 8 is swivelly mounted on the strut 4 and cooperates with the hook 6 to retain the hook in engagement with an eye 63 of the disconnecting fuse or switch. The keeper 8 may be swivelled out of the wap by manipulation of the tool so as to permit the book 6 to engage the eye and disengage from the eye. Strut 4 has a swivel mounting 5 with a fixed arm 9 which is in turn mounted on an insulating tube telescoped within the outer tube 11 of the cylindrical body of tool 10. At the top end of the outer insulating tube 11 is a cap 13 in turn carrying a pair of spaced arms 14 and 15, see FIG. 2, the outer ends of these arms are apertured at 17 and 18, and these apertures normally carry a pivoted loop, not shown, which can be engaged with the fixed anchor point on the disconnecting fuse or switch which is a hook, horn or stud as shown in the above patent to Lindell.

So far this description has been limited to the conventional parts of an auxiliary circuit interrupter tool, the operation and detailed construction of which are well-known in the art and will not be repeated here.

According to this invention, the arms 14 and '15 carry an adapter, generally indicated as 20 and shown in detail in FIGS. 3 through 5, inclusive. With specific reference to these three figures of the drawings, the adapter, generally indicated as 29, has a hook portion, generally indicated as 22, which includes a pair of rods 24 and 25 welded together in side by side relation throughout the portion 22. The ends of the rods in the portion 22, indicat-ed as 2'7, are turned at substantially right angles to the shank portion of the hook 28. From the hook portion 22, the round rods 24 and 25 form divergent arms 29 and 30, and the ends of these arms are bent into lugs 32 and 34 which extend at an angle of about to the plane of these legs, as shown in FIG. 4. With reference to FIG. 5, it will be seen that the lugs 32 and 34 are bent at angles of 45 to the legs 29 and 30 in the plane of the legs 29 and 36*. Turning now back to FIG. 2, the lugs 32 and 34 are so bent as to lie along the arms 14 and 15 and are detachably secured to the arms by clevis bolts 38 and 4t Returning now to FIG. 1, when the disconnect is to be opened, the operator raises the tool 10 by stick '1 preferably =from directly below the disconnect to a position engaging hook 27 into loops 59 and 60 on the fixed part of the switch. Hook 6 is then engaged with eye 63 by manipulating the stick 1 on the swivelled connections 2 and 5. To operate the tool, stick 1 is moved to a position for pulling downwardly and outwardly on eye 63.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are operational views showing the tool it) with an adapter 20 hooked up to a disconnecting fuse type or" switch. Only the upper portion of the switch is shown, and it is of a type such as shown, for example, in any one of the patents to Fox 2,047,365 of July 14, 1936, 2,081,623 of May 25, 1937, or 2,296,991 of September 29, 1 942. Switches of this type, of which there are many, have an upper contact 5i formed of a pair of heavy resilient wires 51 and 52 located side by side and looped at their outer portions 54 to form guideways 55, 56. Each of the rods 51 and 52 are conventionally provided with coiled portions 59 and 6% which provide the contact with required resiliency. Further details of the switch construction, such as the hinging of the fuse tube 62 carrying the loop 63, may be found in the disclosure of the abovementioned patents to Fox.

In operation, the tool it is manipulated on the live line stick so as to engage the hook portion 22 of the adapter 29 with coiled portions 59 and 6!) of the contacts 50'. The hook portion 6 of the tool it is engaged with the usual loop, such as 63, shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Since the location of the loop portions 59 and 60 with respect to the eye 63 is approximately the same on each disconnecting fuse or switch, the adapter 20 can be made with a suitable length, so that when the tool it) is operated, the fixed and movable contacts of the switch will be separated a predetermined distance before the circuit is broken within the tool '19. This prevents reformation of an arc between the separable contacts 65 and any portion of the resilient contacts 54}. Of course, the adapter can be readily dimensioned to fit any standard tool it and adapted for proper operation of any standard disconnecting fuse or switch. In any event, one adapter will certainly operate with a large number of existing installed disconnecting devices. It is contemplated that adapters of difierent lengths applied to the tool It can adapt the tool to operate any existing type of switch, since there is always a portion, either on the switch or adjacent the switch, with which the hook 27 may be engaged. For example, other forms of disconnecting switches are in use which do not have the loops 59 and 6t), nevertheless, most all will have some form of fixed bracket to suport the fixed contact which will correspond to metal bracket 76 and terminal fitting 71 (see FIG. 7). An adapter 2G for these types of disconencts would be longer so that the hook 27 will reach far enough to engage behind terminal 71 at the point 72. This would provide proper location of the tool in the same manner as above described.

Changes in and modifications of the construction described may =be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a circuit interrupter type of tool for opening a high voltage circuit isolating device such as a disconnecting fuse, disconnecting switch, or the like, normally carrying line current and having a fixed current carrying member and a fixed energized terminal contact member connected therewith, a current carrying member movable into and out of engagement with said terminal and an eye for receiving a hook to move the movable member, said tool including a housing, separable contacts within the housing, conducting means electrically connected with one of said contacts and said eye, an insulated handle mounting said conducting means to move said means into said eye and separate said movable current carrying member from said fixed terminal member and subsequently separate said separable contacts on continued movement while said housing remains stationary with respect to said device, and a second conducting member connected with the other of said separable contacts and fixed with respect to said housing having spaced arms and a ring swiveled therebetween adapted to engage an anchor on said fixed members, the improvement adapting said tool for use on devices without an anchor to receive the swiveled ring comprising, a hook member adapted to engage said fixed current carrying member and anchor the tool thereto, divergent legs extending away from the hook member, lugs on the ends of said legs directed angularly with respect to the plane of the legs and secured to said spaced arms carrying said swiveled ring to thereby hold said housing stationary with respect to said device, said hook member and said lugs being spaced to fix the distance therebetween to properly locate said tool with respect to said device.

2. In a circuit interrupter type of tool for opening a high voltage circuit isolating device such as a disconnecting fuse, disconnecting switch, or the like, normally carrying line current and having a fixed current carrying member and a fixed energized terminal contact member connected therewith, a current carrying member movable into and out of engagement with said terminal and an eye for receiving a hook to move the movable member, said tool including a housing, separable contacts within the housing, conducting means electrically connected with one of said contacts and engageable with said eye, an insulated handle mounting said conducting means to move said means into said eye and separate said movable current carrying member from said fixed terminal and subsequently separate said separable contacts on continued movement while said housing remains stationary with respect to said device, and a second conducting means connected with the other of said separable contacts and fixed with respect to said housing having spaced arms and a ring swiveled therebetween adapted to engage an anchor on said fixed members, the improvement adapting said tool for use on devices without an anchor to receive said swiveled ring comprising a pair of rod members welded in side by side relation and bent at an angle to form a hook member adapted to engage with said fixed current carrying member and maintain said housing stationary with respect to said device, divergent legs formed by said rod members extending away from said hook member, angularly related end portions on said rods forming lugs at the ends of said legs directed angularly with respect to the plane of the legs, and away from the plane of the legs, and means securing said lugs to said arms carrying said swiveled ring, said hook member being spaced from said lugs a fixed distance to properly locate said tool with respect to said switch when said hook is engaged with said device.

3. In a current interrupter type of tool for opening a high voltage circuit isolating device such as a disconnecting fuse, disconnecting switch, or the like, normally carrying line current and having a fixed current carrying member and a fixed energized terminal contact member connected therewith, a current carrying member movable into and out of engagement with said terminal and an eye for receiving a hook to move the movable memher, said tool including a housing, separable contacts within the housing, conducting means electrically connected with one of said contacts and engageable with said eye, an insulated handle mounting said conducting means to move said means into said eye and separate said movable current carrying member from said fixed terminal and subsequently separate said separable contacts on continued movement while said housing remains stationary with respect to said device, and a second conducting member connected with the other of said separable contacts and fixed with respect to said housing having a means extending laterally from said housing and a ring swiveled on said arm means adapted to engage an anchor on said fixed members, the improvement adapting said tool for use on devices Without an anchor to receive said swiveled ring comprising rod members welded in side by side relation and bent at an angle to form a hook member adapted to engage said fixed current carrying member and anchor said housing with respect to said device, legs formed by said rod members extending away from said hook member, angularly related end portions on said rod forming lugs at the ends of said legs directed angularly With respect to the plane of the legs, and means to attach said lugs to said arm means carrying said swivel ring, said hook member being spaced from said lugs a fixed distance to properly locate said tool with respect to said switch when said hook is engaged with said fixed current carrying member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER TYPE OF TOOL FOR OPENING A HIGH VOLTAGE CIRCUIT ISOLATING DEVICE SUCH AS DISCONNECTING FUSE, DISCONNECTING SWITCH, OR THE LIKE, NORMALLY CARRYING LINE CURRENT AND HAVING A FIXED CURRENT CARRYING MEMBER AND A FIXED ENERGIZED TERMINAL CONTACT MEMBER CONNECTED THEREWITH, A CURRENT CARRYING MEMBER MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TERMINAL AND AN EYE FOR RECEIVING A HOOK TO MOVE THE MOVABLE MEMBER, SAID TOOL INCLUDING A HOUSING, SEPARABLE CONTACTS WITHIN THE HOUSING, CONDUCTING MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED WITH ONE OF SAID CONTACTS AND SAID EYE, AN INSULATED HANDLE MOUNTING SAID CONDUCTING MEANS TO MOVE SAID MEANS INTO SAID EYE AND SEPARATE SAID MOVABLE CURRENT CARRYING MEMBER FROM SAID FIXED TERMINAL MEMBER AND SUBSEQUENTLY SEPARATE SAID SEPARABLE CONTACTS ON CONTINUED MOVEMENT WHILE SAID HOUSING REMAINS STATIONARY WITH RESPECT TO SAID DEVICE, AND A SECOND CONDUCTING MEMBER CONNECTED WITH THE OTHER OF SAID SEPARABLE CONTACTS AND FIXED WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING HAVING SPACED ARMS AND A RING SWIVELED THEREBETWEEN ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN ANCHOR ON SAID FIXED MEMBERS, THE IMPROVEMENT ADAPTING SAID TOOL FOR USE ON DEVICES WITHOUT AN ANCHOR TO RECEIVE THE SWIVELED RING COMPRISING, A HOOK MEMBER ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID FIXED CURRENT CARRYING MEMBER AND ANCHOR THE TOOL THERETO, DIVERGENT LEGS EXTENDING AWAY FROM THE HOOK MEMBER, LUGS ON THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS DIRECTED ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF THE LEGS AND SECURED TO SAID SPACED ARMS CARRYING SAID SWIVELED RING TO THEREBY HOLD SAID HOUSING STATIONARY WITH RESPECT TO SAID DEVICE, SAID HOOK MEMBER AND SAID LUGS BEING SPACED TO FIX THE DISTANCE THEREBETWEEN PROPERLY LOCATE SAID TOOL WITH RESPECT TO SAID DEVICE. 